Words that rely on hyphens for clarity

As the “AMA Manual of Style” says, “The hyphen is a connector; it may join what is similar and also what is disjunctive . . . it divides as well as marries.”

There are rules for when to use a hyphen and when not to use a hyphen, and style manuals have different guidelines from one another. Then there are the exceptions to the guidelines. Finally, when it comes to hyphens, all style guides include the catch-all phrase: “When in doubt, consult a dictionary.”

In this week’s post, we are going to discuss a very clear-cut hyphenation rule: hyphens within a word. Because meaning matters, some words are hyphenated to distinguish them from other words. What follows are words that need hyphens in order to keep their meanings clear.

re-cover/recoverThat chair looks like it belongs in a funeral home. Let’s re-cover it before we put it in the reception area.
Has IT been able to recover any of the content that was lost when the CMS crashed?

re-creation/recreation
The “new” navigation for the website is just a re-creation of the old navigation.
Last year’s company picnic was more stress creation than recreation.

re-form/reformOur department has been re-formed with only two employees.
Jacob’s efforts to reform the pricing structure failed.

re-pair/repairHow can I re-pair these socks when one always disappears in the dryer?
You can’t repair everything with duct tape and WD-40.

re-press/repressYou need to re-press that shirt. It looks like you slept in it.
I’ve repressed all memories from those years I worked with Diana.

re-sign/resignDo you intend to re-sign the employment contract?
Susan had resolved to resign from her position.

re-treat/retreatWe may need to re-treat your infection with a second antibiotic.
Our CEO will not retreat from his position on budgeting cuts.

un-ionized/unionizedThe ads claimed the new detergent was “un-ionized.”
Would our jobs be different if we were unionized?